CEO Udhampur exposed for concealing large scale attachments of teachers under RTI: Harsh

Jammu, 28-11-2017: Alleging large scale irregularities in DSEJ including wholesale attachments of teachers en vogue, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh JKNPP Chairman and Former Education Minister demanded high level probe into whimsical attachments and deployments of teachers in Jammu Division and District Udhampur in particular by the Education department on monetary and extraneous considerations.

Alleging that the offices in Jammu Division had become dumping grounds for the blue eyed employees, Mr. Harsh Dev Singh said that thousands of employees including the Masters, RETs and teachers had been attached in the office of DSEJ, CEOs, ZEOs besides city schools whimsically to confer undue advantage upon those who ironically were drawing their salaries for doing nothing. He further divulged that as per the recent reply in pursuance of the RTI filed by him, it was established that 10 masters and 12 teachers i.e 22 incumbents were attached in the DSEJ alone who were among the 49 employees attached in the same office in addition to the permissible employee strength of 59 thus raising the total strength to 108 with surplus aggregate of almost 100%. “With the unprecedented attachments of masters and teachers in the cities and offices, the schools in rural and remote areas of Jammu region had turned redundant due to acute deficiency of staff besides the academics of the students of hinterland had suffered an immense loss. Moreover, the attached masters and teachers were also drawing the HRA against the prescribed guidelines and norms which siphoned the State exchequer and was no less than a manipulated fraud or scam”, dismayed Harsh said.

Referring to the glaring example of district Udhampur and Ramnagar in particular, he said that attachment orders were being issued in brazen circumvention of norms and procedures and on extraneous considerations. While accusing the erring officers of issuing numerous attachment/deployment orders of teachers on the basis of political affiliations, Mr. Singh said that the CEO who had brazenly circumvented the provisions of the RTI Act by deliberately concealing the actual details of the teachers attached in various offices and schools in a reply sought from him under the said Act. He said that the reply indicated that 55 teachers and RETs were attached in Ramnagar constituency whereas the actual number of attachments of teachers and RETs exceeded 150 in the said constituency alone. He said that there were 6 zones in Ramnagar and from Ramnagar zone alone, the names of seven teachers who were attached in offices i.e Ajay Sharma, Shweta, Archana Gupta, Mukta Sharma, Sunita Gupta, Raj Kumar, Sudarshan Kumar, Sunil Kumar were missing in the reply sought in pursuance of the RTI. Likewise, teachers from other zones including Dudu, Kulwanta, Ghordi, Majalta, Babey had also been attached in the said offices which was over 150 in number and whose names were not reflected in the forged reply, Harsh rued. “Early investigation into the conduct of the said CEO and cancellation of all attachments, deployments and transfers made in violation of transfer policy were need of the hour to save the Education system from jeopardy”, anguished Harsh said.

Mr. Harsh Dev Singh further cautioned the concerned authorities and Education Minister in particular to take cognizance of large scale bungling, corruption, misuse of authority by the Director School Education and CEO Udhampur who were squarely responsible for bringing disgrace to the most pious profession. He also urged upon the Chief Minister to take cognizance of the soaring VIP culture in the Education department which was running ‘transfer and attachment industry’ and order SIT probe into the whole gamut of transfers, attachments and deployments.